Team Notes: Harvard Returns to Former Home, Visits Northeastern

Photo by Gil Talbot

Game On
The Harvard men's hockey team begins a stretch of three games in four days by making the short, crosstown trip to Northeastern's historic Matthew Arena—a rink the Crimson once called home—for the first time since 1997. The Crimson and Huskies meet Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Game Notes (PDF)
ECAC Hockey Live Scoreboard
Vote for Hobey - Alex Killorn

Follow From Home
Live pay-per-view video and free live statistics for Wednesday's game are available from GoNU.tv. WHRB‑FM 95.3 and WHRB.org offer live audio with Brendan Roche and Raafi Alidina on the call.

Behind the Bench
Former Crimson captain, NCAA Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player and 13-year National Hockey League veteran Ted Donato '91 is in his seventh season as The Robert D. Ziff '88 Head Coach for Harvard Men's Ice Hockey. He owns a 94-101-20 record, three ECAC title-game appearances and two NCAA tournament bids.

Last Time Out
No. 16 Boston University scored three straight goals to pull away and defeat the Crimson, 5-2, Saturday night at Agganis Arena.

A second-period goal by Marshall Everson (Edina, Minn.) cut in half a 2-0 deficit, but the Terriers (10-5-6) regained control with a pair of goals off Harvard turnovers, one shorthanded in the second period and another in the first minute of the third. Ryan Grimshaw (Rochester, N.Y.) also scored for Harvard (3-12-0), and Michael Biega (Montreal, Que.) notched two assists. Kyle Richter (Calgary, Alta.) made 32 saves for Harvard, while Kieran Millan stopped 31 for BU. Chris Connolly scored twice for the Terriers.

Busy Week
A day after playing the Huskies, the Crimson hits the road for games at No. 14 Rensselaer Friday and No. 12 Union Saturday.

Road Warriors
This is the second of four straight road games for the Crimson.

Vote for Alex
Alex Killorn (Montreal, Que.) is one of 68 nominees in the preliminary fan-voting portion of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award selection at www.hobeybakeraward.com. This first phase of fan balloting will run through March 6. The fans' vote accounts for one percent of the total ballot in each phase.

Beanpot Preview
The Crimson and Huskies will face off again Feb. 7 in the opening round of the 59th Beanpot tournament at TD Garden, home of the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins. The winner will meet Boston College or Boston University in the Beanpot championship Feb. 14.

In the 20 seasons in which Harvard and Northeastern have met before the Beanpot, the Crimson has won the preview game 18 times and is 14-6 in the tournament meeting. Harvard holds a 42-14-0 advantage in all non-Beanpot games against the Huskies.

A Sort of Homecoming
Wednesday's game will be the Crimson's first game at Matthews Arena since Dec. 18, 1997. Matthews, then known as Boston Arena, was the site of many of the Crimson's home games before Watson Rink opened in 1955 on the spot currently occupied by Bright Hockey Center.

Series History
Harvard and Northeastern have met in 10 of the last 11 Beanpots, with the Huskies winning six times. The Crimson, however, holds the all-time series lead at 64-31-0. The last time the teams faced off outside the Beanpot was a 6-5 overtime win for host Harvard Dec. 19, 1999.

The Crimson and Huskies first met Dec. 4, 1940, a 7-4 NU win. Harvard won seven of the next nine meetings and later posted series win streaks of 10 games (1959-63) and 16 games (1967-76). The teams met for one ECAC title while Northeastern was a member of the conference, with the Huskies prevailing, 5-2, in the 1982 league title game.

Last Season
Northeastern defeated Harvard, 4-1 in the consolation game of the 2010 Beanpot. Tyler McNeely scored twice to lead the Huskies. Ryan Carroll (Hackensack, N.J.) made 30 saves for Harvard while allowing three goals, and Conor Morrison (London, Ont.) scored the ninth goal of his rookie season. Morrison's deflection of a Ryan Grimshaw shot trimmed in half a second-period NU lead.

Scouting the Huskies
Northeastern won just once in its first 11 games (1-7-3), but is 5-3-1 since, including victories in three of its last four outings. Its last game was a 2-0 home shutout of Vermont Friday. NU outshot UVM, 40-17, to rebound from a 3-1 loss a night earlier. The Huskies are seeking their first non-conference win. Their lone matchup with an ECAC Hockey foe was a 2-2 home tie against Rensselaer on the second weekend of the NU season, Oct. 15.

Wade MacLeod has registered 10 goals and 10 assists to lead Northeastern in goals and points and share the team assists lead with defenseman Anthony Bitetto. Tyler McNeely has 16 points on seven goals and nine helpers. Chris Rawlings owns a 2.37 goals-against average and .924 save percentage. He is 5-8-4 with two shutouts in 18 starts.

Leading the Crimson
Alex Killorn leads Harvard with six goals and 14 points. He and Michael Biega (5-8-13) are tied for the team assists lead. Defenseman Danny Biega (Montreal, Que.) has logged 10 points, including seven assists. Kyle Richter owns a .913 save percentage and 2.73 goals-against average.

Who's Hot?
Alex Killorn has registered a point in each of the Crimson's last 10 games and 13 of the team's 15 overall games. He has four goals and seven assists during his 10-game scoring run.

Michael Biega has recorded multiple points in three of the last five games, totaling four goals and four assists in that span. Brother Danny Biega (Montreal, Que.) has five points (2-3-5) in the last four games.

All in the Family
A Biega brother has scored or assisted on each of the last eight Harvard goals and 10 of the last 12.

Family Tradition
A Biega brother has led Harvard in assists in each of the last two seasons, Alex Biega '10 with 16 in 2008‑09 and Michael with 15 last season.

Help from the Blue Line
Defensemen have assisted on or scored 13 of Harvard's last 15 goals, totaling three goals and 12 assists in the last five games.